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Change indicator
4.2%up 0.1 points from Aug 2026September 2026 · released 2 Oct 2026
−0.5 ptsover 5 years
Compare with: Compare
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By region
Asia-Pacific6
AustraliaJapanMalaysiaSingaporeNew ZealandPhilippines
Europe22
GermanyFranceUnited KingdomNetherlandsEstoniaIrelandLatviaSloveniaCroatiaCzechiaLithuaniaPortugalAustriaDenmarkFinlandLuxembourgNorwaySwedenSpainPolandItalyBelgium
Middle East1
Saudi Arabia
North America2
CanadaMexico
South America2
ChileColombia

Get United States unemployment rate updates by webhook

GET /v1/economics/USA/unemployment
// webhook: { "type": "release.updated" }

Read historical data and the release calendar by API.

Get an API key

Key data points

Last release
2 Oct 2026
Observation period
September 2026
Next release
Not scheduled yet
Previous
4.1% Aug 2026
Highest
14.8% Apr 2020
Lowest
2.5% May 1953
A year ago
4.4%
Data since
1948

United States unemployment rate by year

United States unemployment rate by year
YearAverageHighLowChange
2026 (to date)4.2%4.4%February 20264.1%July 2026▼ −0.1
20254.3%4.5%November 20254.0%January 2025▲ +0.4
20244.0%4.2%July 20243.7%January 2024▲ +0.4
20233.6%3.9%October 20233.4%April 2023▲ +0.3
20223.7%4.0%January 20223.5%July 2022▼ −0.5
20215.4%6.4%January 20213.9%December 2021▼ −2.5
20208.1%14.8%April 20203.5%February 2020▲ +3.1
20193.7%4.0%January 20193.5%September 2019▼ −0.4
20183.9%4.1%February 20183.7%September 2018▼ −0.1
20174.4%4.7%January 20174.1%December 2017▼ −0.6
20164.9%5.1%April 20164.7%November 2016▼ −0.1
20155.3%5.7%January 20155.0%September 2015▼ −0.7
20146.2%6.7%February 20145.6%December 2014▼ −1.0
20137.4%8.0%January 20136.7%December 2013▼ −1.3
20128.1%8.3%January 20127.7%November 2012▼ −0.4
20118.9%9.1%January 20118.5%December 2011▼ −0.6
20109.6%9.9%March 20109.3%December 2010▼ −0.5
20099.3%10.0%October 20097.8%January 2009▲ +2.1
20085.8%7.3%December 20084.9%February 2008▲ +2.3
20074.6%5.0%December 20074.4%March 2007▲ +0.4
Show all
United States unemployment rate by year
YearAverageHighLowChange
20064.6%4.8%February 20064.4%October 2006▼ −0.3
20055.1%5.4%February 20054.9%August 2005▼ −0.4
20045.5%5.8%March 20045.4%August 2004▼ −0.3
20036.0%6.3%June 20035.7%December 2003▼ −0.1
20025.8%6.0%December 20025.7%January 2002▲ +0.3
20014.7%5.7%December 20014.2%January 2001▲ +1.5
20004.0%4.1%February 20003.8%April 2000▼ −0.1
19994.2%4.4%February 19994.0%December 1999▼ −0.3
19984.5%4.7%March 19984.3%April 1998▼ −0.2
19974.9%5.3%January 19974.6%November 1997▼ −0.6
19965.4%5.6%January 19965.1%August 1996▼ −0.2
19955.6%5.8%April 19955.4%February 19950.0
19946.1%6.6%January 19945.5%December 1994▼ −1.1
19936.9%7.3%January 19936.5%December 1993▼ −0.8
19927.5%7.8%June 19927.3%January 1992▲ +0.1
19916.8%7.3%December 19916.4%January 1991▲ +0.9
19905.6%6.3%December 19905.2%March 1990▲ +0.9
19895.3%5.4%January 19895.0%March 19890.0
19885.5%5.7%January 19885.3%November 1988▼ −0.4
19876.2%6.6%January 19875.7%December 1987▼ −0.9
19867.0%7.2%February 19866.6%December 1986▼ −0.1
19857.2%7.4%June 19857.0%November 1985▼ −0.3
19847.5%8.0%January 19847.2%June 1984▼ −0.7
19839.6%10.4%January 19838.3%December 1983▼ −2.1
19829.7%10.8%November 19828.6%January 1982▲ +2.2
19817.6%8.5%December 19817.2%April 1981▲ +1.0
19807.2%7.8%July 19806.3%January 1980▲ +0.9
19795.9%6.0%August 19795.6%May 1979▲ +0.1
19786.1%6.4%January 19785.8%October 1978▼ −0.4
19777.1%7.6%February 19776.4%December 1977▼ −1.1
19767.7%7.9%January 19767.4%May 1976▼ −0.1
19758.5%9.0%May 19758.1%January 1975▲ +0.1
19745.6%7.2%December 19745.1%January 1974▲ +2.1
19734.9%5.0%February 19734.6%October 19730.0
19725.6%5.8%January 19725.2%December 1972▼ −0.6
19716.0%6.1%August 19715.8%October 1971▲ +0.1
19705.0%6.1%December 19703.9%January 1970▲ +2.2
19693.5%3.7%September 19693.4%January 1969▲ +0.1
19683.6%3.8%February 19683.4%September 1968▼ −0.3
19673.8%4.0%October 19673.8%February 1967▼ −0.1
19663.8%4.0%January 19663.6%November 1966▼ −0.2
19654.5%5.1%February 19654.0%December 1965▼ −0.9
19645.2%5.6%January 19644.8%November 1964▼ −0.6
19635.6%5.9%February 19635.4%August 1963▼ −0.2
19625.6%5.8%January 19625.4%July 1962▼ −0.3
19616.7%7.1%May 19616.0%December 1961▼ −0.6
19605.5%6.6%December 19604.8%February 1960▲ +1.4
19595.5%6.0%January 19595.0%June 1959▼ −0.7
19586.8%7.5%July 19585.8%January 1958▲ +0.4
19574.3%5.2%December 19573.7%March 1957▲ +1.0
19564.1%4.4%July 19563.9%February 1956▲ +0.2
19554.4%4.9%January 19554.0%July 1955▼ −0.7
19545.6%6.1%September 19544.9%January 1954▲ +0.1
19532.9%4.5%December 19532.5%May 1953▲ +1.6
19523.0%3.4%August 19522.7%December 1952▼ −0.5
19513.3%3.7%January 19513.0%May 1951▼ −0.6
19505.2%6.5%January 19504.2%October 1950▼ −2.2
19496.1%7.9%October 19494.3%January 1949▲ +2.3
19483.8%4.0%March 19483.4%January 1948▲ +0.6

Download history

Preview

11 observations · January 2025 to December 2025

Selected historical observations
Date or periodValue · PercentSource
January 20254.0%Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
February 20254.2%Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
March 20254.2%Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
April 20254.2%Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
May 20254.3%Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
June 20254.1%Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
July 20254.3%Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
August 20254.3%Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
September 20254.4%Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
November 20254.5%Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau
December 20254.4%Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); US Census Bureau

Indicator info

Category
Labour
Source
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), US Census Bureau
Frequency
Monthly
Units
Percent

The share of the labour force that is out of work and actively looking for a job.

Labour force participation rateSep 202661.8%Inflation rateAug 20263.4%Consumer price indexAug 2026335GDP growth rateQ2 20262.2%

Reports

Released 2 Oct 20264.2%September 2026

Next release not scheduled yet

History

Unemployment rate recent observations
PeriodValueChange
September 20264.2%+0.1
August 20264.1%0.0
July 20264.1%−0.1
June 20264.2%−0.1
May 20264.3%0.0
April 20264.3%0.0
March 20264.3%−0.1
February 20264.4%+0.1
January 20264.3%−0.1
December 20254.4%−0.1
November 20254.5%+0.1
September 20254.4%+0.1
August 20254.3%

Common questions

What is the unemployment rate in the United States now?

The unemployment rate in the United States was 4.2% in September 2026, up 0.1 points from Aug 2026. The figure was released on 2 Oct 2026.

When is the next unemployment rate release for the United States?

The next release date has not been announced yet. It appears here once the publisher schedules it.

What are the highest and lowest values of the unemployment rate in the United States?

In data since 1948, the highest was 14.8% in Apr 2020 and the lowest was 2.5% in May 1953.

Where does this data come from?

Published by Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), US Census Bureau, and shown here exactly as published. Publishers revise figures, and the latest published figure replaces the earlier one.

Source
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), US Census Bureau
Economics methodology →
API
GET /v1/economics/USA/unemployment
Economics API →
Schedule
Official release dates
US jobs report dates 2026: nonfarm payrolls schedule →